Parliament - The ANC has used its majority in Parliament to crush a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma after ANC ministers and deputy ministers came to the defence of the under-fire president on Thursday.
The majority of 221 ANC MPs voted against the DA motion while 113 opposition MPs voted in favour of the motion and eight members abstained.
In a heated debated that lasted almost two hours ANC MPs in the National Assembly stuck to their guns in support of Zuma describing the motion by DA Parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane as frivolous.
While opposition MPs called for Zuma to resign the ANC said the opposition was trying to undo the outcome of the national elections 10 months ago.
Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said Maimane was a desperate man trying to clutch at the straws.
Sisulu was backed by her colleague Sindi Chikunga, the deputy minister of transport, who said the DA parliamentary leader was leading a divided caucus in Parliament.
She said the divisions between Maimane and his chief whip John Steenhuisen were glaring, with each of one of them pulling in different directions.
Chikunga described the motion of no confidence as the garbage that must belonged in the dustbin.
Sisulu said since this was not the first motion against Zuma this showed the desperation of the opposition.
She described the previous motions and the Thursday one as “opposition stampede” and “theatrics.”
Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald said Zuma was a runaway president, who was failing to answer questions on Nkandla.
DA MP James Selfe said Zuma should never have been president following a string of corruption charges against him until the National Prosecuting Authority dropped them two weeks before the elections in 2009.
Selfe accused Zuma of interfering with the criminal justice system.
Steve Swart of the ACDP agreed with Selfe.
“As the longest serving member of the justice and correctional services committee, I am shocked at what I have witnessed over the years regarding the politicisation and weakening of law enforcement agencies,” said Swart.
He said the rot started with the disbandment of the Scorpions six years ago.
“It is apparent that no institution is safe from political interference. This includes the National Prosecuting Authority, the SAPS and Hawks, Sars, and now even the Ipid (Independent Police Investigating Directorate), with its head, Robert McBride last week accusing the Minister of Police (Nathi Nhleko) of abusing his powers for ‘illegitimate political reasons’ in court papers. The conclusion is inescapable that if you try to touch the president or his allies, your neck will be on the block,” said Swart.
Political Bureau